The Clove Club

Welcome to hipster central – The Clove Club off Old Street in East London is the successful continuation of chef Isaac’s 2012 award for the Best Newcomer in the Observer Food Monthly as the ‘Young Turks’. In this year’s National Restaurant Awards the Scot and his team won number 5 best restaurant in the UK. Located in the sleek looking Shoreditch Town Hall, you will pass the restaurant’s own meat curing chamber where a selection of salamis and hams is hung up to dry. The restaurant is split up into a small bar area with a few tables, separated from the open kitchen and the restaurant, which serves a set menu opposed to the bar menu. The style of interpreting British cuisine in a more modern and creative way is well resembled by the unfussed interior, which is held rather rustic with wooden chairs and tables. The candlelight adds an elegant touch in the evening when the lights are dimmed. The menu must have been inspired by the ‘sharing is caring’ philosophy and guests are advised to order up to three or four small plates for the table, which are however not quite big enough in size to be shared properly.

The Clove Club serves up a variety of British rare breeds, including their own cured salamis, such as Tamworth Pig cheeks served with pumkin puree and hazelnuts or slow roast British Lop pork. The pig cheeks remind of Hungarian gulasch in texture, which is so soft it almost fell apart upon touching it with the fork. A great dish, which goes well with seasonal pumpkin and although the hazelnuts add a new sensation to the dish, you will find it fits very well. Many starters are on the health conscious side, such as fresh fennel in oak smoked cod’s roe and home made rye crackers, which are surprisingly sweet and will make it hard to stop nibbling. The buttermilk fried chicken is absolutely juicy and soft, and although the salt pine makes up for the majority of aroma filling up your nose, it does not lend its aroma to the taste of chicken. In tight competition with the poached place with romanesco, the grilled chanterelle mushrooms with peanuts and chili oil were undisputedly the best dish that evening. Perfect for spice lovers but possibly too hot for people who happily abstain from seasoning their food with chilies. Of the baked meadowsweet custard and the plum and pear sorbets as dessert, the sorbets are a must try and the cold texture does not only clear the palette, but the taste is so intense of ripe fruit that is almost unexpected and overwhelmingly good. Last but not least, the Clove Club’s home made chocolate bars that you are presented with upon paying your not quite low bill is another treat; dark, not too sweet and filled with coffee and almond biscuits, leaving a nice grany feeling on the tongue.

First Date Suited: The Clove Club is an ideal place for trying out various dishes on the menu, whether in form of a seven course set menu or a longer bar menu to make your own choices. In the restaurant you might get distracted by watching the kitchen staff conjuring up your little delicacies, and the bar area might just be the right place to enjoy a few small bites and a glass of wine before heading out for the evening. The service is lovely, accommodating every one of your wishes and the menu is priced rather reasonably. Either or, make sure to visit sooner rather than later, as the popularity is only rising with time.

The Clove Club